


The Sun Was High

by AudibleEllipsis



Series: Already Found [5]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alt Title Spinel Vs Pearl, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bonus Chapter, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Mostly Fluff, Sparring, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-18 02:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21770290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AudibleEllipsis/pseuds/AudibleEllipsis
Summary: Spinel tapped a finger against her chin, looking away at first but excited. “If I win… You gotta go with me, Steven, and Amethyst to see the play Jamie’s in tomorrow.”“And if I win?” Pearl gestured with an upturned palm.“I figure tha’s up to you.”A pause, then she blushed slightly, trying to look more dignified than necessary. “How about, if I win, you take me out on one of those adventures you and Amethyst always go on?”--------------On a golden day in the Sky Arena, Spinel makes a bet with Pearl after the first time they fought there, and the unseen comes to light.
Relationships: Pearl & Spinel (Steven Universe)
Series: Already Found [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1488263
Comments: 19
Kudos: 107





	The Sun Was High

**Author's Note:**

> If you're here from Already Found, don't worry about when exactly this takes place. I'll slot it in somewhere later, but I wanted to write a fight, so here's this fun bonus chapter.

The sun was high at the beach, but here in the Sky Arena, it only bled through fluffy white clouds in warm, clean shades of yellow, almost golden against the drab tile and stone.

“How familiar are you with your weapon really?” Pearl asked, making the fancy forms she was doing look effortless. Holo-pearls faded, one after the other.

( _“Challenger Wins -- Challenger Wins -- Challenger Wins --”_ )

 **Spinel** leaned against her weapon like a wall, the dumbell-like thing perfectly balanced. A long, burgundy bar about as tall as herself and a little thicker than her arms, ending in either side with a heavy, solid, hot-pink sphere about twice the size of her head. “Eh, not super? I mean, I’ve only even made it…” She counted on one hand. “Like, five times?”

“Then you should practice with it.” Pearl did what Spinel figured was probably an unnecessary backflip, scoring across another blue back.

Rising, crouching, pacing, rolling. Each motion started and stopped with precision, a level of performance Spinel could really understand and admire.

“Against who? I don’t wanna hurt anyone with this.”

“You won’t hurt me.” Pearl said casually. It was hard to tell if it was ribbing or a taunt, but she did her best to take it in good nature.

“That’s not how our first fight went down.” Spinel smirked.

Pearl smiled as well, not letting herself be distracted. “That was before I understood how you move. It would never happen again.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Very.”

“How ‘bout a bet then?”

“A game, you mean?”

Spinel rolled her eyes, then a hand. “Yeah, yeah, however you wanna say it.”

Pearl parried the hologram ahead of her, blowing its arm back hard, then turned, slicing into the two approaching from behind, swapping grips and taking a step back to plunge her blade into the first, finishing it. The remaining two, taking cover between the pillars and aiming spears, disappeared as Pearl faced her in full. “And the terms?”

Spinel tapped a finger against her chin, looking away at first but excited. “If I win… You gotta go with me, Steven, and Amethyst to see the play Jamie’s in tomorrow.”

“And if I win?” Pearl gestured with an upturned palm.

“I figure tha’s up to you.”

A pause, then she blushed slightly, trying to look more dignified than necessary. “How about, if I win, you take me out on one of those adventures you and Amethyst always go on?”

The request was an honest surprise, so Spinel bit back the jokes in her head (“don’t you mean _when_ you win?”). _Does Pearl really think she needs an excuse to spend time with me?_ “Uh, sure. How about… to three clean hits from me, and uh, surrender or ‘dee-muh-tee-rializin’ for me?”

Pearl snickered. “You can just call it ‘poofing’ if you want.” Spinel shrugged.

“Ehh, I gotta keep my syllable count higher than two or someone I know stops understandin’ me.”

And Pearl _laughed_. It was rare, so Spinel held onto the moment like a prize. “Very well, but if we’re using ‘clean hits’ as a metric, there should be a judge. I can only assume you wouldn’t trust one of my constructs with this duty?”

“Nah, they seem pretty fair with the kids. Now come on, let’s get this over with. I gotta call to make so I can get you a ticket.”

“My, how presumptuous.” Pearl took a stance about fifty feet out, looking genuinely happy. Spinel allowed herself a moment to take that in as the sun breached a cloud and everything got a little warmer for a while. Then, her mind turned to _winning_ , and she took a savage, eager grin, grip tight on one end of her weapon.

A holo-pearl was conjured in a beam of light from Pearl’s gem, between them and some distance away, and raised its arm mechanically. “ _Challengers… Are you prepared for combat?_ ”

“You betcha!”

“ _Made_ ready.”

“ _Then let this be a battle for the ages… Ready… Begin!_ ”

Its hand fell down, and Pearl launched across the distance at speed, gliding over the tile with grace. Her straight-bladed sabre was poised up, sword-hand low. Spinel tensed, cast both arms back, and gathered enough might to throw her weapon straight ahead, spinning horizontally like a terrifying bola. At this range and speed, Pearl would either have to cut through or maneuver around it to dodge, and opted to do the latter, sliding under and kicking off the ground once through to resume speed.

_She can’t cut through it then. Or, at least, she’s not confident about doing that. Either way, works for me._

Before Pearl could close the distance entirely, Spinel sprang away, dodging a slash that pulled wind and launched backwards, turning midair to face one of the foremost pillars. Her left arm shot-out, already extended and grabbing hold to spin about and sling-shot toward the white-gem, right hand moving to her gem to pull out another dumbell to add weight and force to the motion. But Pearl was on a tear, already closer than Spinel could have imagined, and leapt from below straight towards her.

_Too fast! Gotta move!_

In a fit of reflexes, Spinel kicked hard off the pillar instead once she’d made a rotation, flying away in an awkward arc that avoided another broad sweep from Pearl’s sabre. In the precious seconds it would take the white gem to readjust and follow suit, Spinel tucked her legs in close, situating the dumbell beneath both feet, and kicked powerfully off the bar, sending the weapon flying towards Pearl and herself to the ground much faster. Once on the ground, she gave herself a second to think.

_I’m makin’ gaps, but not enough to go on the offensive. I’ve got the better reflexes, but her speed’s gonna beat that most of the time. She’s not as strong as me, but she doesn’t need time or positioning to make the most of it._

Pearl prepared to move again, but to Spinel’s surprise, she actually sailed directly _towards_ the dumbell instead. The white gem tucked and brought her legs around and planted on one end for just long enough to aim it towards her, then kicked hard enough to launch it like a missile. The pink gem had plenty of time to leap back, dodging the spray of tile and grit, but every jump was shaving seconds from what should have been an offensive play.

_Gonna have to get just a **little** creative._

Bounding away, Spinel turned her back on her opponent entirely. With a little extra speed, she made a break for the nearest pillar, ignoring when the white gem called something out from behind. As soon as she’d tucked behind the cover, a hand moved to her gem and pulled free a single weighty juggling ball. Then, she hucked it into the air at the perfect height, as far as it could go without cresting the pillar-tip. 

Then, Spinel took a step back, and waited.

“It’s dangerous to turn your back on an opponent.”

Pearl’s voice came from the left side, but a holo-pearl, armed and waiting, came from the right first. Spinel took a dangerous roll towards it, keeping low, and heard from behind the sound of metal on tile, barely dodging what must have been a thrust from the real deal.

The holo-pearl’s sword was real, Spinel noted idly, a duplicate of the same straight-bladed sabre Pearl used. It was raised high, and then brought down in an arc that may as well have been in slow motion compared to what its creator could do. Spinel caught its blade arm, then the other, leapt towards the pillar, doding a follow-up from behind on instinct, and let her legs turn to springs, bouncing back to the ground behind the hologram hard and fast enough that it couldn’t possibly react. The sabre embedded itself into the floor while the hologram kept its grip, bent in a backwards arch.

A boot from Spinel’s right swung out and crashed into its back, the thing chirping helplessly as it dissolved into a veil of light that blocked Pearl’s vision. The white gem brought her sword high, hedging bets while Spinel summoned her weapon for what she hoped would be the last time, frayed and feeling some kind of tiredness in her gem from using it so much. She knelt, deliberately taking a bad position just to make sure her opponent would stay in place, and brought up the bar to defend against Pearl’s desperate chop.

“This is the end.” The white gem said, dramatic and determined. Pearl grit her teeth as she pushed down, other palm wrapped around the middle of the bar, and drew back her blade, prepared to stab through any number of openings. “Surrender now if you want to--”

_Bonk!_

The juggling ball finally landed with all its considerable weight and speed, beaning Pearl right in the back of the head. The gem, off-set, buckled forward, and in that moment, everything seemed to slow down.

Pearl’s sabre slipped forward as she did, one foot in the air to try and catch balance, but that meant her blade was placed without care, and all Spinel had to do was shift away to avoid it. Positioned beneath the now over-extended gem, Spinel tensed, hands placed on either side of the bar, and rocketed forward. Where the weights on either end met the tile, a spray of dust and debris kicked up. Pearl’s grip adjusted on instinct, allowing her to keep hold of the blade without snapping a wrist or the sword itself, but both were pinned with little wiggle room.

For good measure, Spinel sat on the thin gem’s chest, legs on either side, and let one enlarged hand wrap around the sword-hand’s forearm, keeping it in place. The white gem looked absolutely _shocked_.

“Sorry!” Spinel shouted, rearing back her free hand to wallop the side of Pearl’s face. It made contact, and even though it was the point of the whole thing, she still felt just _awful_ about it.

The referee holo-pearl, still keeping its distance, chirped. “ _Points one and two of three to Challenger Pink!_ ”

For some reason that, and not the punch itself, seemed to snap Pearl out of it. The white gem took on a serious scowl that Spinel chose to attribute to being focused on the match, and her gem began to glow, two separate streams of light beaming behind her. Spinel wound up the second punch, hoping to close it out, but was met with resistance as two hands from a holo-pearl shot out and grabbed at that arm, pulling back. It wasn’t enough to stop her altogether, but it was long enough to distract Spinel from the motion on the other side as Pearl’s hand palmed under the bottom of her sabre’s hand guard, launching it out and into the other holo-pearl’s waiting grip, who pulled it free.

Spinel had to let go of Pearl’s forearm to block, catching the second holo-pearl’s sword arm before it could slice into her, and pulled double duty with the first one, stretching her arm out and around it before slamming it overhead into the second. Both shattered in a spray of light and the blade clattered to the ground, but as quick as she’d been, it wasn’t fast enough to prevent Pearl’s now free arms from bending to grip the bar and leverage one end enough to wiggle free.

One of Spinel’s arms shot out as a fist, rocketing across the short distance, but as soon as the white gem was free, her form arched, palm met tile, and she pushed, flipping backwards over the extended arm. The pink gem attempted to adjust, bringing it up as a rising hook, but Pearl twisted mid-air to catch it with both palms. Shortly after landing, she jerked the fist backwards the same way Spinel had seen her do to Amethyst’s whip, and the dramatic pull was too intense to simply give more limb and avoid being drawn forward. She had to step quickly to avoid tripping over her own bar, and watched as Pearl let go long enough to summon a spear from her gem. The only way to avoid the slice was to give her opponent even more distance, which was a problem for several reasons, but a lot better than losing.

So Spinel grabbed at her weapon with the free arm, legs became springs, and she launched away, pulling free just in time to avoid poofing.

Almost run ragged, she applied some leverage, and balanced the dumbell on one end, leaning against it like she was before the fight began. “You’re gonna see some quality public theater whether you like it or not, you hear me Pearl? I ain’t losin’ again!”

_So I better win fast…_

Pearl’s expression became complicated and soft for a moment, before turning away. A moment later, something must have solidified, because Pearl’s eyes were hard, lips set to a thin line. “I keep making the mistake of underestimating you, and for that I apologize. Time and time again, you’ve shown me just how capable you are. I won’t dishonor you by holding back ever again.”

Spinel frowned. “You were holding back…?”

“Honestly…” She looked away again. “Not at all. Just caught off guard.”

A smile came naturally. “Good. I’d hate to think you couldn’t give me everything you’ve got.”

Pearl smiled as well. “Likewise.”

The sun, slowly dipping in the background, finally got a chance to shine all the way through as the clouds parted. The whole place was bathed in a haze of golden-orange, long shadows of each of them playing across the back stands. Again, Spinel let herself take in the moment, only this time, she was sure Pearl was doing the same.

After that short rest, and a flourish of her spear, the white gem raised her voice, drama and joy seeping into every word. “Enough stalling, then! Your fate is sealed, challenger! This next bout will end it!”

Spinel took hold of one end of the bar in both hands, letting the weight on the other end drag behind, like one might a big heavy sword. “You got that right! And don’t worry Pearlie, when I win, I won’t even brag about it to the others.”

Pearl’s gem began to glow again, and one, two, three, four, five, six holo-pearls, each with spears of their own came out, looking less alert than the ones before. _Are they worse if she makes them too fast, or if she makes a bunch at once? Doesn’t matter, I guess._ They charged in pairs formations Spinel was eager to dominate, while the real deal stayed farther behind, keeping pace and waiting for her chance.

Spinel charged, dust and grit kicking up behind as she cackled. The first two came packed tight, the one at the fore’s spear raised while the other was kept low. _Easy._ Her arms tensed, and then _pulled_ , and air was displaced as a hot-pink sphere came down against a hard-light spear-tip, shattering and breaking through to destroy the hologram holding it. The sphere landed with a _‘whump’_ that set it into the tile, and made it easy to push up, making the bar perpendicular to the ground. Spinel hopped, and let momentum carry her over the top without letting go and delivered a devastating axe kick to the one whose spear was low, then touched the ground, eyes appraising the next pair.

Already close, both newcomers used horizontal slices to cover the majority of her options, forcing Spinel to leap back, but she kept one hand wrapped tight around the top of the bar and gave her whole body a little extra elasticity.

The extended arm rubber-banded, bringing Spinel forward again while both holograms were still retrieving their spears from where they’d chipped into the bar of her weapon. She planted both feet firmly on the first one’s face and used it to bound over to the other, the top of one boot swiping hard at the side of the other’s head. Both disappeared in a dazzling light while she spun, and prepared to change strategies for the final pair, which looked to now have Pearl in tow.

Her other hand wrapped around the bar as well, and with the rapid momentum of her swing, Spinel pulled the dumbell free and sent it flying in a spray of debris towards the two holograms that were much too slow to dodge. Pearl, however, leapt over it, body mostly flat, and rolled a few times midair before one arm extended, spear in hand. Spinel had to roll under, wanting to recollect her weapon, and was barely able to leap back from a return swing from Pearl, now giggling madly.

Pearl seemed to match that enthusiasm (albeit without the giggling), and kept close, while all Spinel could do was dodge and count the steps, until finally, she flipped backwards once to avoid tripping and brought both hands around the bar, bringing it up at a 45 degree angle to block an incoming slash from Pearl; immediately afterwards stepping to the side to avoid a thrust that hoped to score over the bar. Spinel reached down and brought the other end up, crouching while taking the bar from low to upright and then down on the other side, too far away to be useful if Pearl didn’t either back away, let it go, or spin to bring it around again.

She chose to do the latter, and once more, everything seemed to slow down while she went for the final point.

Spinel swung out a leg, but even though Pearl couldn’t see it, the white gem’s own leg raised to block. Shin met shin, and she was rebuffed. The pink gem did her best to simultaneously use one hand to maneuver the bar over in the opposite direction in time to block if something went wrong, and let the other sail straight for what was now the side of the white gem’s head. Only, in a blur of movement, the leg Pearl used to rebuff her shot up, the top of her foot blowing back the fist in a display of flexibility and acrobatics that impressed even her. 

Finally, Pearl finished her rotation, and the spear clashed against the bar, a few sparks of light scattering. The resistance she offered was hardly enough for the force the white gem had somehow packed into that swing, and just when it looked as though it would be enough to push past and cut into her shoulder, Spinel reared back her head for one final trick.

It wasn’t just her arms and legs that were stretchy, it was everything. A normal headbutt would have never worked, but she’d very deliberately avoided reminding Pearl of that fact for the entire fight. So when Spinel shot her head forward like a paddle-ball, it was all Pearl could do to brace as the stubborn pink gem’s forehead slammed into her pointed nose first, and then the rest of her face, eyes closed. The white gem was rocked back, the spear came away, and--

“ _Point three of three to Challenger Pink! Victory belongs to the strong!_ ”

Pearl gasped, strangely shaken, and stepped back. The spear disappeared. The referee disappeared. Pearl stared. “No, that’s not… I’m…”

Spinel reeled her head back in, let the dumbell fall away as light, and blinked. “You’re not… happy for me?”

“No!” Pearl cried, then covered her mouth. “I mean, of course I am. You’re wonderful.” She sighed. “But, it’s just, you’ve been going out with Amethyst to see the world, and sometimes you’re visiting with human friends, and Garnet has been taking you out on solo missions recently, and the children are both…” She took a breath, raking a hand through her hair, eyes on the horizon. It gave Spinel a moment to see the bruises left on her face. “I’m… supposed to be someone you can look up to. If I can’t win here, in the one thing that’s left… what good am I?”

Spinel took a moment to breathe herself. “You’re not… _supposed_ to be anything.” She began. Pearl looked back at her, indecipherable despite all the talent she had for reading faces. “And you don’t have to be! I’m not here ‘cause you’re a better fighter, I’m here because I like spending time with you. That doesn’t change if I win some silly bet.”

Pearl swallowed, arms folded, but more holding onto herself than anything else. “Maybe. But, I should be better. Better than this, at least.”

She hesitated, then tried to offset the mood. “Pshh, I mean, it’s not like I woulda won if that was a _real_ fight, ya know. Head on the ground, exhausted, and all I’ve done is hit you three times? You’re still a _lot_ better than me, I’m just…”

Pearl had turned away again. The words caught in her throat. “I wasn’t talking about the fight.”

The pink gem twiddled her thumbs. Squeezed both palms together a little. Then, found the words. She came closer, keeping within Pearl’s peripheral to make sure it was okay, and then stood beside her, tentatively placing fingers on the other sade for the same reason. When the white gem made no efforts to resist, she pulled her a little closer.

“You know, us entertainers have a weird life.” Spinel began. Pearl’s expression shifted, just barely. “Even bein’ made for this sorta thing, there’s still a lot of work I gotta do to make sure it all goes right. I’ve put years into gettin’ laughs outta people; juggling routines, dances, selling emotions I’m not actually feelin’, tryin ta-- er, actually, you get it, the list goes on. Anyways, point of it all is that… people aren’t _supposed_ to know I’ve worked that hard.”

She let the words breathe, then kept going. “It’s all s’posed to look… effortless. And, if it doesn’t, then the whole thing kinda falls apart. If someone can tell I’m struggling with an act, then suddenly they start thinkin it must be because I wasn’t tryin hard enough. Or, they might start expectin' more from what I was already doin’ if they see there’s stuff I _can_ struggle with. It’s like this… weird illusion that gets made, and we’ve got no control over it.”

And she turned to Pearl in full. “But I think that’s bunk! I might be a good study, but there’s so much to learn on Earth! And, I think all that learning stuff deserves some attention too. It’s, uh, the whole thing that matters, you know? So, I’m never gonna stop appreciatin what you musta been through to get here. And, I’m not gonna stop wantin to learn just because I got lucky with a trick once.”

At that, Pearl smiled sadly, bringing her friend in closer. The tall gem’s head rest comfortably over her own. “It wasn’t luck. It was talent, and hard work.”

Spinel brought her arms around twice for a hug. “That’s right! And I’ve still got a lot to learn about that stuff.” She let Pearl hold on for as long as she needed to, which was maybe a minute. The white gem came away with a sniff and wiped at one eye, still smiling. Spinel giggled. “If you really don’t want to go tomorrow, you don’t have to. I just thought it would be fun.”

“I think I’d love to go. I want a chance to see what you do in this place.”

“Funny, I was gonna say the same thing. If, maybe you wanna go on a trip right now?”

Her voice was soft, and warm. “Where would we go?”

“Wherever we want.”

That golden light stayed on them as they retreated up the stairs, long shadows overlapping as they stayed close, becoming almost one in the same.

The warp pad carried them off, and the Arena waited for the next day they’d come together.

**Author's Note:**

> This'll either turn into where I post bonus chapters, and I'll update title and tags later, or just be limited to this and what my next bonus idea is, Spinel Vs Steven and Connie. Either way, I'll be sure to make a note of it back in the main chapters whatever happens.


End file.
